Seven social media tips for lockdown

Wow, what a tough old time it is for everyone right now. I know for many businesses, especially small independents and self-employed professionals, lockdown is a very trying time. I understand things look bleak right now but there are still opportunities for you to communicate and promote your business - honest!

Top of your list should be staying visible online and continuing to post across your social media platforms, even if your business is currently closed. You don’t need to post as much as you would normally, but don’t disappear. Getting your messaging right is equally as important. It can be tricky knowing what to say and how to keep the content (social media, blogs, newsletters) and conversation going with your audience and new and existing customers.

So, what do you do and what do you say? Here are my top tips to help keep your messaging on track.

1. Acknowledge the crisis

As much as we would all love to ignore what is happening in the world right now - if you do you run the risk of switching your audience off and your content being out of date as soon as you’ve posted it. You need your content to be relatable, so adjust what you’re saying to reflect this and empathise with your audience by showing you appreciate everyone’s different situations. That’s not to say every post should be about coronavirus - it shouldn’t - but do factor it in when it’s relevant. Keep promoting what your business does but be mindful of the tone and language you use. Don’t pretend it is business as usual if it isn’t and be clear in your communication. You don’t want to confuse people with a message and disappoint customers who think you are open when you’re not.

2. Keep it positive and informative

While it’s important to be genuine and authentic, try to keep upbeat and publish engaging content. Avoid posting anything political or you could risk alienating your customers. Instead, give them updates on your products and services and tell them how they can support your business through lockdown. Let them know about changes to opening times and how they can contact you. It’s ok to let your followers know you are finding things hard and missing their business. People like transparency, now more than ever.

3. Add in some fun

People love to get to know the people behind the businesses they buy from. You can do this by telling them what’s happening behind the scenes and give them personal stories about you and your employees. You don’t always need lengthy, text heavy posts or to create your own content. Use light-hearted quotes and memes, silly videos and cheerful images in your social posts. 

4. Look for opportunities

Lots of businesses have found success throughout the pandemic by looking for opportunities away from their usual ways of working. One small business that has done this is Yorkshire Blankets, who usually selling their products at markets across Yorkshire. With the pandemic limiting their sales they created a new product that targeted people looking for at home activities. They created a range of DIY rag wreaths for customers to buy online and complete at home. By doing this they have strengthened their online selling now and in the future.

5. Try something new

Now is the perfect time to try a communication channel or social network you’ve not tried before. With potentially more time on your hands, it’s a good time to set up a new account and find new audiences. If you’re already covered across the social networks, why not try using them for different types of content as a new way to communicate with your audience? You can use Facebook Live or Instagram TV to create personal videos and speak directly to your audience.

6. Be creative with your content

If you’ve been using social media, you might feel like your social channels have become a bit boring and stale. Scrolling back through your old posts, you’ll see patterns of similar content that can become easily ignored by your audience. Use this time to be creative and plan some new ideas to reengage your audience and attract new followers. Giveaways and competitions are always a hit but perhaps you could partner up with another business to collaborate on something?  Current trends include; things to do at home, activities for kids, creativity and wellbeing, so think about how you could include this type of content in to your social media plans.

For a quick update have a look at refreshing your selection of promotional images. This doesn’t need to be expensive, there’s lots of short online courses and advice online on how to do it yourself.

7. Be kind

One great thing that has come out of this pandemic is the desire for people to support local businesses. And local businesses should do the same by supporting each other. Sharing other company’s posts helps to promote them to your audience and could open their customers up to you. Don’t flood your social accounts with other people’s content, but supporting other local businesses shows you care about the communities you work in.

Please get in touch if you’d like a chat about how I could help you creatively get your positive message out there.

I offer bespoke services completely tailored to your business needs. You can read more about how I can help by visiting my website.

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